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The greenhouse can be particularly useful if you have limited space in your garden. Utilising some simple and practical ideas can turn it into a functional space that you'll enjoy working in.
Creating zones
Create different areas for produce and plants. For example, if you grow vegetables, have a specific area for them and put flowers on the opposite side. Organising zones in your greenhouse makes the most effective use of available space.
Other areas you should consider include a storage area, a potting area and separate zones for edible and non-edible plants. This will stop you from wasting time looking for things if you know exactly where you've put them.
De-clutter your greenhouse
When you've decided which zones you need, it's time to de-clutter your greenhouse. It's pointless having a plan to rearrange your space more efficiently, only to stumble at the first hurdle when you can't decide what to get rid of! You must be ruthless and throw out all the clutter that you no longer use.
Your plants will thrive if they are well-ventilated. Also, in a cluttered greenhouse, it's easier for insects to move in, potentially ruining your plants by eating them.
Add shelves
Clever use of shelving will enable you to make the most of all the space in your greenhouse. While you can easily spread out across your floor space, shelves enable you to spread upwards too.
Make use of the height of your greenhouse with either wall-mounted or freestanding shelves. This is a simple way of storing gardening tools and equipment such as seeds, plant feeds and other items, in boxes so you know where to find them.
A slatted design for shelves will enable air to circulate, light to permeate and excess water to drain away easily. Any storage in your greenhouse needs to be dirt proof, waterproof and durable. Clear plastic boxes are ideal for storage. Opaque boxes are also okay, as long as you label them clearly. Seeds in particular need a dark, cool environment.
Potting bench
A potting bench is a useful addition to any greenhouse, especially if you keep all your tools nearby. It is far more than just a work surface; it will enable you to continue gardening in all weathers. An indoor potting bench can also provide useful extra storage space.
Add hooks, so you can hang small tools and buckets underneath. Keep all the things you need around the bench, so that when you're tending to seedlings and taking cuttings, everything is in the immediate vicinity.
You can store potting compost underneath. This is far better than leaving it outside, as it could get waterlogged if there is a downpour overnight.
You can pick up a potting bench in most garden centres, make one yourself from wooden pallets, or upcycle one from an old cupboard or dressing table. Make it more durable and stylish by painting it in the colour of your choice.
Compost corner
Never overlook the value of disposing of garden waste in an environmentally friendly way - you need to set up two bins for composting in your greenhouse: one should be for plant materials that you can add to your compost heap in the garden, the other should be for general waste that you can dispose of in the proper way later through the council's wheelie bin service.
Once you have emptied, de-cluttered and tidied your greenhouse, don't let it get in a state again! Make yourself a promise that you will tidy up for a few minutes at the end of each gardening session. Take the opportunity to put everything back in its proper place.